Chemical Education Journal (CEJ), Vol. 4, No. 1 /Registration
No. 4-14/Received February 21, 2000.
URL = http://www.juen.ac.jp/scien/cssj/cejrnlE.html
E-Mail: jhill@AWCNET.AW.LATROBE.EDU.AU
Abstract : The Chemistry 1 course in Australian Universities is considered a crucial foundation course for providing all tertiary science students with essential knowledge of chemical principles, but it also has to provide the stimulus for Year 1 tertiary students to continue with studies in chemistry, so that the future of postgraduate research programs in chemistry are assured. At present time in Australia the enrolment rates and retention rates in tertiary chemistry courses are of deep concern and, as a consequence, the chemistry 1 course in some Australian Universities is in a state of dynamic reform. There is, however, no agreement as to how halt the slide in enrolments in tertiary physical science courses, and Chemistry in particular, in Australia. Reforms are desperately needed to counter a potentially disastrous short-fall in well qualified tertiary educated chemistry graduates.
The research reported in this article indicates that while the need for reform is acknowledged it should not be at the expense of course standards, and that a significant proportion of experimental work in Chemistry 1 must be retained, to emphasise that chemistry is an 'experimental science'.
In an attempt to make the Chemistry 1 course more 'student - friendly', there is a progressive use of new teaching methodologies and new technologies. With respect to the latter, the Internet is being used for open access to basic factual material and for tutorial management. Interactive computer programs are also being used for the presentation of 'pre-laboratory tutorials' and for coursework (short) tests. However, there is also general agreement that these new teaching aids have to be applied with caution, since most students still prefer a significant proportion of 'face - to - face teaching, particularly in science courses. The vast majority of innovations currently underway in Australian University chemistry departments can be described as mechanistic - leaving the underlying curriculum untouched and introducing what can be considered as 'inducements of interest' to make the courses more palatable to students. The consideration of the potential effects these 'inducements of interest' is outside the scope of this article.
CEJ Vol. 4, No. 1, Contents